733 


UC-Nrlf 


B*  U.3  bSO 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 


THE 

NUSCRIPT  COLLECTIONS 


IN  THE 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 


•    .    • 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

1916 


Jo  /  r[3 

LIBRAE 


L.  C.  Card,  16 — 26002 


THE    MANUSCRIPT  COLLECTIONS 

in  the; 
LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 


To  answer  questions  which  have  been  asked 
concerning  the  manuscript  collections  in  the 
Library  of  Congress,  the  following  information 
is  published: 

The  Library  is  the  custodian  of  about  600 
separate  collections  of  manuscripts,  varying  in 
size  from  collections  which  com- 
Thk  collections.  prise  only  a  few  documents  to 
those  which  contain  many  thou- 
sands of  documents.  There  are  at  least  a  million 
separate  manuscripts  in  the  combined  collections. 

The  collections  cover  the  whole  field  of  history — 
political,  military,  scientific,  artistic,  religious, 
literary,  social,  and  economic.  For  example, 
there  are  the  papers  of  11  of  the  Presidents  of 
the  United  States;  of  the  Continental  Congress; 
of  Benjamin  Franklin,  Alexander  Hamilton, 
Daniel   Webster,    William   L.    Marcy,   James   H. 

52731-16  (3) 


?<; 


4 


Hammond,  of  South  Carolina,  and  Edwin  M. 
Stanton;  of  Gens.  Sherman,  McClellan,  and 
Beauregard;  of  Paul  Jones,  Alexander  Coekburn, 
and  Ericsson;  of  Simon  Newcomb  and  Matthew 
F.  Maury;  of  the  Shakers,  Rev.  John  Wither- 
spoon  and  Rev.  Moses  Waddell;  of  Louise  Chand- 
ler Moulton  and  William  Giimore  Simms;  of 
Dolly  Madison  and  Margaret  Bayard  Smith;  and 
the  account  books  of  plantations  and  old  mercan- 
tile firms. 

The  purpose  of  the  collections  is  to  preserve 
and  make  available  to  historical  scholars  and 
students  the  record  upon  which  history  is  based, 
the  original  documents  which  tell  the  true  story, 
the  intimate  correspondence  of 
purpose.  the  actors  in  history,  which  dis- 

closes the  facts,  the  motives  and 
characteristics  of  the  actors  themselves,  and  re- 
vives the  atmosphere  of  past  times.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  no  one  can  write  history  satis- 
factorily unless  he  has  access  to  the  manuscript 
materials  for  history. 

The  collections  have  come  to  the  Library,  some 
by  transfer  from  other  Departments  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, but  most  of  them  from 
Source  of  collec-   the  descendcnts  of  the'  historical 
TIONS-  characters  to  whom  the  manu- 

scripts pertain.  Some  of  the 
collections  are  obtained  by  gift,   some   by   pur- 


chase,  and  some  are  deposited,  the  title  remain- 
ing with  the  depositors. 

Persons  who  are  not  accustomed  to  use  manu- 
scripts are  apt  to  suppose  that  the  Library  merely 
desires  to  obtain  examples  of  the  writing  of  famous 
and  prominent  people.  While 
Autographs.  the     collection     of     autographic 

documents  is  one  of  the  Library's 
functions,  it  is  a  lesser  and  subordinate  function, 
and  is  satisfied,  in  most  cases,  as  an  incident  to  the 
historical  purposes  for  which  the  collections  are 
made. 

What  the  Library  wants  is  all  the  papers  which 
an  historical  character  gathered  and  preserved  in 
the  course  of  his  career,  and  which  have  survived 
him — the  notes,  memoranda,  diaries,  drafts  of 
speeches,  articles,  or  letters  which  he  kept  (the 
letters  to  him  and  from  him),  his  accounts — in  a 
word  all  the  written  evidences  of 
collections  de-  his  activities,  personal  or  public. 
SIRCD-  In  the  case  of  a  man  of  methodi- 

cal habits,  who  preserved  his 
papers,  and  whose  papers  have  escaped  destruc- 
tion or  dispersion,  there  may  be  many  trivial  and 
apparently  unimportant  writings  among  them; 
but  even  these  play  a  part  in  reconstructing  the 
life  and  times  in  which  he  lived  and  have  signifi- 
cance to  the  historical  investigator. 

Therefore  the  Library,  when  it  acquires  a  col- 
lection of    papers,   desires,   if    possible,   to  itself 


judge  what  papers  should  be  destroyed  as  useless. 

The  layman  who  makes  selection 

destruction  of   seldom   understands   the   profes- 

papers.  sional    point    of   view    and    may 

withdraw  papers  which  have  real 
historical  value.  He  may,  for  example,  destroy 
accounts  of  household  expenses;  yet,  if  the  papers 
are  old,  these  contain  valuable  economic  history. 
Purely  personal  family  letters  and  intimate 
affectionate  correspondence  belong  in  another 
category.  Descendants  may  object  to  such 
papers    being   open    to    inspection.     If    they    do 

object,  such  papers  should  be 
Family  Letters.        withdrawn;  but  the  Library  will 

withdraw  them  if  the  papers  are 
intrusted  to  its  examination,  putting  itself  in  the 
place  of  the  descendants  and  making  the  exami- 
nation from  their  point  of  view.  It  returns  such 
papers  to  the  proper  persons,  to  be  disposed  of  by 
them. 

It  is  a  laborious  task,  requiring  practice  and 
special  facilities,  to  examine  a  large  collection 
of  manuscripts.  Laymen  who  attempt  it  gener- 
ally fail  to  finish  it.     The  Library,  on  the  other 

hand,  can  examine  a  collection 
Examination  of   in  a  comparatively  brief  period 

Manuscripts.  Qf    {{mQi    ancl    call    Separate    fl'Olll 

the  main  collection  such  papers 
as  do  not  properly  belong  in  a*' public  depository. 
The  papers  are  not  open  to  inspection  until  the 
separation  has  been  made. 


The  several  advantages  to  be  derived  from 
placing  collections  of  papers  in  the  Library  are: 

i.  To  preserve  them.  Here  they  are  in  an  in- 
stitution which  is  a  department  of  the  Govern- 
ment— the  most  permanent  abiding  place  that 
can  be  found  for  them.  They  are  in  a  fireproof 
building,  which  has  no  other  buildings  near  it. 
They  are  in  locked  compart  - 
ad vantages.  ments  of  steel  and  plate  glass, 

under  guard  day  and  night. 
They  have  the  care  of  expert  manuscript  re- 
pairers and  of  a  regular  force  of  trained  archiv- 
ists. They  are  as  far  beyond  danger  of  loss,  dis- 
persion, or  deterioration  as  it  is  possible  for  them 
to  be. 

2.  To  contribute  to  the  truth  of  history. 
While  they  are  in  private  hands,  they  are  inac- 
cessible to  historians.  Their  existence  is  not 
generally  known.  There  are  no  facilities  for  their 
use. 

3.  To  give  the  individual,  whose  papers  they 
were,  the  place  in  history  to  which  he  may  be 
entitled.  The  historian  is  a  reporter.  He  must 
have  material  to  write  about.  The  public  man 
whose  papers  are  accessible  takes  a  more  con- 
spicuous place  in  history  than  the  public  man 
whose  papers  have  been  destroyed  or  are  kept  in 
private  hands.  To  keep  the  papers  of  a  public 
man  in  private  hands  is  to  deprive  him  of  the 
abiding  fame  to  obtain  which  was  one  of  the 
motives  of  his  life. 


8 


Some  persons  who  have  historical  manuscripts 
are  anxious  to  have  them  in  a  safe  place  and 
available  for  historical  use,  but  are  unwilling  to 

part  with  all  ownership  in  them. 

Manuscripts  on   In  such  cases  the  Library  is  will- 

depomt.  jng  to  reCeive  the  manuscripts  on 

deposit.  They  are  treated  as 
other  papers  are  treated,  but  the  fact  of  their 
ownership  is  made  of  record,  and  they  will  be 
returned  on  demand.  The  return  of  such  papers 
is,  however,  requested  very  seldom. 

The  manuscript  collections  in  the  Library  are 
intended  for  scientific  use  by  the  writer  and 
scholar,  and  others  who  have  a  legitimate  interest 

in  them.     They  are  in  a  public 

Restrictions  on  Use    institution        for        public        USeS. 

of  manuscripts.  Nevertheless,  they  are  not  in- 
tended to  be  used  for  sensational 
purposes,  and  the  Library  does  not  permit  them  to 
be  so  used.  Sensational  writers,  however,  do  not 
resort  to  the  manuscripts  in  the  Library,  because 
they  do  not  knowr  how  to  use  manuscripts. 

Some  manuscripts,  however,  are  highly  confi- 
dential in  their  nature  and  contain  revelations 
which  may  not  properly  be  disclosed  until  after 
the  passage  of  many  years  from 
confidential  manu-  the  date  of  the  events  to  which 
scripts.  t^ey    relate.     Such    papers    are 

guarded  very  carefully  by  the 
Library.     They  are  locked  in  steel  safes  and  kept 


9 


secret  until  the  date  has  arrived  when,  by  agree- 
ment, they  may  be  put  upon  the  shelves. 


Following  is  the  approved  form  of  gift  or  bequest  to  the 
Library: 

"  To  the  United  States  of  America, 
Form  of  Gift  or  Be-    to  be  placed  in  the  Library  of  Congress 
quest.  and  administered  therein  by  the  au- 

thorities thereof." 

O 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


MAY  2  2  1957 

°CT  1  7  1958 

FEB  16 1992 

MAY  3  6 19& 

• 

LD  21-100m-6,'56 
(B9311sl0)476 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


CDE75EmEt, 


3  6  76*3 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBR 


